Land area: 631,659 sq mi (1,635,999 sq km); total area: 636,293 sq mi (1,648,000 sq km)

Population (2008 est.): 65,875,223 (growth rate: 0.7%); birth rate: 16.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 36.9/1000; life expectancy: 70.8; density per sq km: 40

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Tehran, 7,796,257 (city proper)

Other large cities: Mashad, 2,061,100; Isfahan, 1,378,600; Tabriz, 1,213,400

Monetary unit: Rial

National name: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

Current government officials

Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Ethnicity/race: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions: Islam 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%); Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%

National Holiday: Republic Day, April 1

Literacy rate: 77% (2005 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $753billion; per capita $10,600. Real growth rate: 5.8%. Inflation: 17.5%. Unemployment: 12%). Arable land: 9%. Agriculture: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar. Labor force: 28.7 million; note: shortage of skilled labor; agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2006 est.). Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur. Exports: $76.5 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets. Imports: $61.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies. Major trading partners: Japan, China, Italy, South Korea, Turkey, Netherlands, Germany, France, UAE, South Korea, Russia (2004).